Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast

This was the epitome of luxury when it opened three decades ago and it remains the only absolute beachfront resort on the Gold Coast. It’s a favourite with Australians and retains much of its charm along with some of the largest rooms around.

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Rooms from

£134per night

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Occupancy

Rooms

Adults

Children

Ages of children

Airport

Location

8/10

As well as its beachfront location, the resort is linked by a pedestrian overpass to the upmarket Marina Mirage shopping plaza on the other side of the street. Marina Mirage is also home to some expensive launches moored on the Southport Broadwater. Sea World is 875 yards feet down the street, and it’s a five-minute drive to the heart of Surfers Paradise. Gold Coast Airport is about 35 minutes' drive south and Brisbane International Airport about 90 minutes' drive north.

Style & character

7/10

There’s an instant visual impact as you enter the wide-open lobby, looking past the lounge area and the cascading fountain through the windows to the pool area, palm trees and the beach beyond. The sense of space is wonderful, with high ceilings adding to the effect. It’s all white, bright and minimalist. Two wings of this four-storey resort create a horseshoe effect, with fountains, pools, gardens and terraces in the centre, opening out through a gate to the beach (patrolled year-round). Floor-to-ceiling windows on all the public areas of the resort and the use of extensive water features, lagoons, and waterfalls add to the holiday atmosphere.

Service & facilities

7/10

For most guests, the allure is in the Oasis Pool, heated to 27 degrees and surrounded by 250 sun lounges (the pool bar provides towels), and the proximity to the beach. There’s a toddlers’ pool a decent distance from the main pool and cabanas. Villa guests have an exclusive pool too. The gym has a 25 metre heated lap pool and offers fitness training. Service can be patchy, veering from indifference to politely formal.

Bar

Beach

Fitness centre

Kids' club

Laundry

Parking

Pool

Restaurant

Room service

Sauna

Spa

Steam room/hammam

Wi-Fi

Rooms

8/10

Few rooms are like here – there are 25 different configurations, although the décor is the same. What guests can be sure of is that they are all larger than you’d find elsewhere. All rooms and suites are air-conditioned, and the Sheraton Signature Beds are as comfortable as the sales pitch in the lobby says. Ground-level rooms open out to gardens or the pool, but for an ocean view request a room with windows that open fully to the view through the palm trees to the beach and sea. There are also 18 luxury villas, popular with long-stay guests and celebrities seeking greater privacy.

Food & drink

8/10

Breakfast at Terraces Restaurant, on the hotel’s lower level, surrounded by water features and pools, is a busy affair. The buffet brims with fruit, pastries, juices, cold cuts and cheeses, and there’s an omelette station as well as hot dishes on the buffet. Head to Pearls Bar for pre-dinner drinks, but be warned that queues form at the entrance to the open airy Terraces restaurant before the first 6pm dinner sitting. Booking a table is a good idea, because the seafood buffet is a favourite with Gold Coast locals. Ask for a table away from the fountain that spills down from the lobby if you’ll be bothered by noise, and get a view of the water features outside. The Oyster Bar, on the lobby level, is a more intimate and upmarket setting for dinner, with crisp white tablecloths and a mixed menu of seafood and steaks. The signature dessert is bread-and-butter pudding with macadamia ice-cream.

Value for money

7/10

Double rooms from 350 Australian Dollars (£200) in low season; and from 450 Australian Dollars (£257) in high. Breakfast 39 Australian Dollars/£22. Free Wi-Fi.

Access for guests with disabilities?

Two accessible rooms for guests in wheelchairs are available, with adapted bathrooms, bed heights, and wide hallways.

Family-friendly?

Interconnecting rooms, suites and villas are suitable for families. Rollaway beds are available and cots are free. A kids’ club operates in summer (December/January).